1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a control panel assembly for a laundry machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control panel assembly for a laundry machine, which can prevent a light emitted from a single lamp from being dispersed nearby.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Laundry machines are typically configured of a control panel provided on an upper portion of a front thereof and the control panel includes an input part and a display part. A user inputs operational functions by using the input part and washing information of the laundry machine is displayed on the display part.
The input part includes plural buttons and a rotation switch.
A user operates the buttons and the rotation switch to select a washing time, washing method, drying method and spinning method. Also, various kinds of information including a washing process condition and a remaining time may be displayed on the display part by using letters or images.
In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a structure of a conventional control panel assembly for a laundry machine will be explained.
A conventional control panel assembly includes a control panel 10, a rotation switch 50, a lamp supporter 40, a rotary knob 30 and a deco 20. The rotation switch 50 includes an encoder 52 and an encoder shaft 51. The lamp supporter 40 supports LED lamps for emitting a light. The rotation switch 30 is coupled to the encoder shaft 51. The deco 20 guides the light emitted from the LED lamp.
The control panel 10 covers a circuit substrate 60 in which the encoder 50 is installed and it has a through hole 11 through which the rotary knob 30 coupled to the encoder 51 passes.
As the user rotates the rotary knob 30 coupled to the encoder shaft 51, the encoder 52 creates a signal and sends the signal to a micom (not show).
The deco 20 is ring-shaped and an engaging part is projected from a rear circumferential surface of the deco 20 in a radial direction. A hook 12 is formed at a rear surface of the control panel 10. As a result, the engaging part of the deco 20 is fixedly engaged to the hook 12.
On the other hand, plural light-emitting holes 21 are formed at predetermined portions of the deco 20, corresponding to the LED lamps and the light emitted through the through holes 21 can show user selected functions.
In addition, a light window 70 is provided at a rear surface of the deco 20 to guide the light emitted from the LED lamps. The light window 70 is formed of transparent material and light-emitting protrusions 72 that passes the light-emitting holes 21, respectively, are arranged at the light window 70 a predetermined distance.
As a result, if the user rotates the rotary knob 30 to select a particular function, a corresponding LED lamp 41 emits a light and the light is dispersed through the light-emitting protrusions 72 formed at the light window 70.
However, as shown in FIG. 3, the light emitted from the single LED lamp 41 is emitted not only through the single corresponding through-hole 21 but also through the light window 70. As a result, the light is dispersed and emitted through neighboring light-emitting holes in the conventional control panel for a laundry machine.
Thus, there is a problem that a user fails to recognize the selected function clearly.